Redefining what a preamp can do. The Black Box Analog Design Vacuum Tube Preamp is an entirely new approach to capturing audio.

It is not based on any existing circuit but designed from the ground up, using the best parts and ignoring all of the standard ideas of how a preamp "should work". The result is an incredibly versatile piece of gear that not only sounds amazing but shatters the idea of what a preamp can do!

Tonal Control Like Never Before
Until now, your preamp simply amplified the signal. You essentially get one sound and the ability turn it up or down. The Black Box mic pre on the other hand allows you to drastically shape the response curve of the unit without using any EQ and the associated phase shifts!

All of the shaping is done at the tubes and from the constantly variable interaction between stages allowing you to dial in virtually unlimited tonal possibilities. Essentially, you have the ability to have full control over how the microphone "hears"! You can find the sweet spot of any microphone and instrument easily and naturally!

The response curve of the Pentode stage alone gives you a huge amount of control over the tone. Coupled with the independently controlled Triode stage you have virtually unlimited tones at your fingertips. Click to read more...

Harmonics for days...
There seems to be an obsession with THD when it comes to mic pre designs. Manufacturers boast about how "clean" their designs are and how low the THD is as if these harmonics are the plague yet the fastest growing trend in plug-in design is creating plug-ins that add back these harmonics! Tape, console, tube and various analog emulations that add pleasing harmonics and distortion are more in demand than ever! Why Because the human ear LOVES harmonics! So why are manufacturers bragging about how they have managed to remove them from the design while mixers are having to add more emulations on to compensate We have no idea but we certainly aren't! We love harmonics and our pre has been designed to SOUND amazing! We give you the ability to add a ton of rich, beautiful and musical harmonics and give you unprecidented control over it! Click to read more...

All Tube, All Analog
Our entirely analog audio circuit uses only tubes for amplification and is entirely free of op amps, ICs and transistors! From precisely, hand matched resistors and capacitors to custom wound Cinemag transformers, every part is selected and built for the absolute highest quality sound.

Real Power
It seems that more and more manufacturers these days are moving to cheap, "wall wart" switching power supplies. Sure they are cheap but we all know that a piece of gear is only as good as its power supply! For that reason, our preamps use a massive toroidal to supply 350v of pure, linear power to get the most out of the tubes. Real power means real sound!

Features

Independently controlled Pentode and Triode tube stages

Custom wound Cinemag input and output transformers

Entirely analog audio path (No ICs or Op amps)

Switchable input impedance done by tapping into the transformer windings